1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to robot programming, and more particularly, to a method of checking quality of an edit program created by editing a robot program.
2. Background Art
It is conventionally known to create an operation program for robot control by performing teaching, namely, by operating a teaching pendant in such a manner that a tool mounted to a robot arm is located at a desired position on a predetermined moving path and assumes a desired orientation, and that desired construct elements (instruction statement, etc.) of programming language are inputted into a controller of the robot. In this case, the controller automatically creates an operation program on the basis of joint angles detected by internal measuring sensors and language construct elements manually inputted through the teaching pendant. Another method is also known, in which an operation program is created offline by using a computer other than the controller of the robot.
The operation program thus prepared is subjected to edition, where required. In the program edition, an operator modifies target tool position and orientation, for instance, in accordance with a format suitable for a robot to which the edit program is to be applied. More specifically, the operator operates a keyboard to sequentially inputs character columns, etc., which respectively correspond to desired data and desired language construct elements. During this keyboard entry, various inputs errors are liable to occur in addition to simple errors in operating the keyboard. Particularly, when plural types of controllers are combined with plural types of robot bodies in various manners to produce various robots, wherein a movable range of a movable section such as a tool of each robot (hereinafter referred to as the movable range of the robot body) varies depending upon the type of the robot body and the format to be applied to a controller also varies depending upon the type of the controller, an operator often misunderstands the types of the robot body and controller of a robot to which an edit program is to be applied. In such a case, position data falling outside the movable range of the robot body may be erroneously inputted, or a format unsuitable for the controller may be erroneously employed. Usually, however, the aforementioned errors in editing a program are found only after the robot is actually operated. This requires labor correcting the robot program.